London gets a taste of Belichick

As the NFL launches its annual exportation of American football, it’s important for everyone to sell the product to a growing European audience.

Pats coach Bill Belichick didn’t get the memo. Or, if he did, he tore it up. Or ignored it. Or both.

In his first meeting with the media in London since his team played there three years ago, Belichick displayed his usual bad ventriloquist routine, saying as little as possible behind a mouth that was barely moving.

Here’s a sample.

Question: How does this year compare to a few years ago?

Answer: I don’t know, just got here. It’s London. A little overcast, some traffic – it’s like everybody is up and at it this morning.

Question: How much of a disruption is it playing a game in London?

Answer: We played in Seattle a couple weeks ago We’ve played here, we’ve traveled before.

Question: The NBA has done a great job translating itself internationally. Do you think football translates as well? Can you see it reaching that level?

Answer: I have no idea.

Question: There have been some issues with racism in English soccer. Can you describe how that’s changed the NFL?

Answer: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Belichick is one of the all-time great coaches. But he’s definitely not the guy to be selling the NFL to a potential customer base that has to date been as ambivalent as Belichick is when meeting with the media.

It’s hard to know who will be the head coach a year in advance, but maybe they should be sending someone over there who is at least worth a good quote. Or at least has the personality that exceeds a dead moth.

I am a Dolphins fan but have to say that I absolutely love the way Belichick does his pressers. Takes a dry sense of humor to appreciate them…but isn’t that a quality Brits are known for? Nonetheless, who cares if England enjoys American football, having a team over there would just be a travesty anyways.

I don’t like him but this is funny. I understand the NFL is trying to globalize football to increase their revenue. But since it is a 9 billion a year business I could care less if they are able to make more in london and I hope they never want the NFL to come back.

He actually held the team walk through this morning in the middle of Hyde park and locals would stop by and curiously watch ( of course not understand). I think that is a lot more interesting for the public than answering boring media questions.

Seriously guys? Someone asks him a dumb soccer question about racism in the sport and what do you want him to say? Do you want him to channel Warren Moon or something?
I realize and acknowledge that his postgame pressers are as horrible as it gets, but most of his weekday ones have a lot of good stuff in them if they ask the right questions. Besides, usually when he’s jovial, they lose (SB 46 media week most recent example). Give me PO’ed and cranky BB!

I think Belichick a is AWESOME with the media. His monotone, and minimalist answers to the inane questions are the stuff of legend! Now, if you want to see Belichick get excited about something, start asking questions about the history of football or how the game has changed over the decades. Then you’ll get an education. He has no time for idle chit-chat though.

You expected him to break out in a chorus of Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina?” They want NFL, they’re getting NFL. They do have controversial managers on soccer teams, you know. St Louis was the ‘home’ team, and they’ve been doing football clinics all week for British kids. Do you think Belichick would allow his team to be distracted that way? That’s why Belichick is Belichick.

Why does it matter what a coach says during a meaningless press conference? I wish all head coaches were like him (with regards to speaking to the media). Everyone expects coaches nowadays to spill the beans on everything. I’d rather have a coach that does all his talking on the field.

We’re so used to public speakers blatherin’ on about topics they actually no little about that when somebody stands up and gives an honest ” I don’t know ” answer … we’re taken aback.
That said , no denying Bill is the all-time “De-Presser King”
Admittedly as a die-hard fan ( who’s always lookin’ to glean as much Pats info as possible ) I’ve seen almost all of them … rare to see BB let his guard down and anybody know what he’s thinkin’ .( Mike Reiss might be the best at occasionally gettin’ him to loosen up )

Just absolutely love it. Bellichick doesn’t give answers that meet the media demands and so he gets a negative review. If the media ever learns how to treat sports, then fans will be the winners. But, rest assured, as long as the so-called experts follow the same pattern, they will get the same results. And, those results are not of interest to NFL (or other sports) fans. We don’t want coaches and players to meet your expectations, we want you to meet ours. Based on what I read, you need a survey to determine fan interests, but you won’t do that as long as you think you know the answers.

Brit Twit Sh*ts still yapping about cell phone flap. and dogboy Murdoch is still hiding behind his Chinese Dragon woman. Betcha Bill can whip his ass. London, overpriced , over hyped , over there. Keep it there. They still won’t admit U.S. saved their butt in WWII !

As posted earlier BB has a dry sense of humor. If you can’t tell from this sample then it’s your loss. I find him very funny. On the other hand, some of you that post those knee-slapping hilarious comments about “Belicheat” and lame hidden camera fodder are short on any sense of humor yet ooze of jealousy!

Like he hasn’t done enough to not have to pander to the Britts or be nice to incompetent replacement officials. Sometimes I think the press hounds the coaches that don’t play along and give them the quotes they want.

As someone who HATES the NFL playing even a single quarter outside of the United States I wish that Belichick were named the official spokesman. Whatever it takes to make people over there think it’s a boring sport works for me.